The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to a structure for realizing uniformalization in wind velocity distribution of air which passes through its heat exchanger.
As a conventional ceiling embedded-type air conditioner, there is known an air conditioner disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-341659. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the ceiling embedded-type air conditioner. In FIG. 6, a reference numeral 1 denotes an air condition main body, which has a motor 5 in the central portion within a casing 2 configuring the main body 1, and a centrifugal blower 6 is fixed to the tip end of the shaft of the motor 5. A reference numeral 6a denotes a main plate of the centrifugal blower 6; and 6b, an air blower shroud. A heat exchanger 7 is arranged around the centrifugal blower 6, and on the inner wall surface of the casing 2, there is disposed heat insulation material 10 for forming a blow-off air course 8 between the inner wall surface and the heat exchanger 7. At the lower end portion of the casing 2, there is mounted a panel 9, in the central portion of the panel 9, there is formed a suction port 3, and in the side edge portions, there are formed blow-off ports 4. A reference numeral 2a denotes a casing corner portion.
The description will be made of the operation. When the centrifugal blower 6 is driven by the motor 5, indoor air is sucked into the air conditioner main body 1 through the suction port 3. The air thus sucked in is pushed out on the heat exchanger 7 side by the centrifugal blower 6, and after heat exchanged by passing through the heat exchanger 7, passes through a blow-off air course 8 on the secondary side of the heat exchanger, and is conducted indoors through the blow-off port 9.
FIG. 7 is a view showing blow-off wind velocity distribution of the centrifugal blower in the conventional ceiling embedded-type air conditioner. The air sucked into the air conditioner main body 1 through the suction port 3 is bent in a direction at right angles by the centrifugal blower 6 and is pushed out on the heat exchanger 7 side, and therefore, in the wind velocity blown from the centrifugal blower 6, there takes place such inclination in distribution that the wind velocity becomes slower toward the blower shroud 6b side and faster toward the main plate 6a side as shown in FIG. 7.
The conventional ceiling embedded-type air conditioner has had a problem that the capacity must be made larger because there is inclination in wind velocity distribution on passing through the heat exchanger 7 because of the above described configuration, and therefore, it has inferior heat exchange efficiency, and cannot make the most of the performance of the heat exchanger 7.
Also, there has been a problem that disturbance due to eddy current takes place, or great pressure loss due to sharp deflection occurs in the casing corner portion 2a, resulting in loud noise because the air which passed through the heat exchanger 7 collides with the inner wall surface made of the heat insulation material 10, is bent in a direction at right angles and flows toward the blow-off port 4.
The present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above described problems, and is aimed to provide an air conditioner capable of making the most of the heat exchanger""s performance to reduce the capacity in which wind velocity distribution of the air which passes through the heat exchanger becomes uniform, the pressure loss on passing through the heat exchanger is reduced and the noise is muffled.
According to the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner having a centrifugal blower in the central portion within a casing configuring an air conditioner main body, in which a heat exchanger is disposed around the centrifugal blower, heat insulation material for forming the air conditioner main body, heat insulation material for forming a blow-off air course is disposed between the heat exchanger and the inner wall surface of the casing on the inner wall surface, a panel is mounted to the lower end of the casing, a suction port is formed in the central portion of the panel, and blow-off ports are formed in the side edge portions, in which the width of the blow-off air course on the upstream side is smaller than that on the downstream side.
Also, on the inner wall surface of the casing, there is provided a guide for making the width of the blow-off air course on the upstream side smaller than that on the downstream.
Also, an air conditioner is configured so that the width of the blow-off air course on the upstream side smaller becomes one third to two thirds of that on the downstream side.
Also, the guide is integrally formed of heat insulation material disposed on the inner wall surface of the casing.
Also, the guide is formed of acoustic material such as acoustic plastic, and an air layer is provided between the casing and the guide.
An air conditioner according to the present invention is capable of uniformalizing the wind velocity distribution of the air which passes through the heat exchanger because the width of the blow-off air course on the upstream side is set smaller than the width on the downstream side. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the pressure loss on passing through the heat exchanger, for muffling the noise, and to make the most of the heat exchanger""s performance for reducing the capacity.
Since the guide is integrally formed of heat insulation material disposed on the inner wall surface of the casing, the heat insulation effect of the casing is enhanced by the heat insulation material, and the problem of dewing on the outer wall surface of the casing during cooling can be diminished.
In addition, since the guide is formed of acoustic material such as acoustic plastic and an air layer is provided between the guide and the casing, the noise can be further reduced.